Toronto Church Planting

Toronto

Servant Life partners with the International Mission Board and the Toronto Church Planting network to serve with church plants in the Greater Toronto Area. Groups will work with Sebastian Vazquez, who is involved with college ministry and church planting in Toronto, as well as other church planters in the network. Toronto has become one of the most multicultural cities in the world and continues to become increasingly post-Christian. Servant Life is thrilled for this opportunity to do ministry amongst many different people groups and working alongside local churches to proclaim the gospel of Christ.

What will my team be doing? Spring break groups will be focusing more on college ministry on the campus of the University of Toronto Scarbrough. Summer groups will spend less time with college ministry and more on youth, children, and families to help these church plants connect to new people in their communities. Part of your ministry could include day camps, block parties, or VBS type ministry, while you may also spend significant time doing door to door ministry-- a huge asset to help these church planters know which homes and families they need to follow up with. At the end of your trip, you'll have a day to explore the city of Toronto. If you'd like to bring extra money for Niagara Falls, you can visit there at the end of your trip as well.

Airfare is not included in this cost, but Servant Life does offer to book all airfare reservations. With this trip, if you fly, you will also need to rent vehicles for transportation while you're in country. This is not included in the base cost, but Servant Life offers to book vans for you as well.

On most Servant Life trips, your team will eat meals together at your place of lodging. However, that is not very practical in Toronto, since you'll be staying at a hotel or on a university campus. Instead, since getting food in Toronto is so similar to getting food in the U.S., you will receive money for your meals, and you are free to use that how you want. Breakfast will be provided at your hotel or the campus, and we recommend everyone do sack lunches for lunch so that you can eat at your ministry sites. Dinner is up to you, and we highly recommend letting the local missionaries point you to some great options! Each person will receive around $4 for every sack lunch and $8 for every dinner.

Canada is home to the world's longest street as well as the longest coastline.

Canada has a $1 million dollar coin that is actually worth that.

Canada receives a lot of letters addressed to Santa Claus every year.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. There are over a million people living in Ottawa, a political and cultural hub in Canada.

Servant Life makes every effort to keep our teams safe during their entire experience with us. You help us by using traveler’s common sense. Staying in groups, not flaunting or bringing expensive jewelry, watches, or electronics, being aware of your surroundings, and not leaving bags unattended are all encouraged practices.

Take along all prescription medicines needed for your trip in their original prescription container.

Do's and Don'ts

DO

DO feel free to give gifts, but please ask the ministry partner before doing so.

DO use the “buddy system.”

DO bring any medicines that you may need. If it’s a prescription, make sure it has the original prescription label with your name on it.

DO sanitize your hands before eating. But do it discreetly, not blatantly just after holding a child or shaking an international’s hand.

DO be friendly toward Internationals. Their culture places a high value on friendships and time spent visiting with friends.

DO pray for your International friends. Only as God works in their lives will they be open to hearing more about Christ.

DO befriend Internationals who are of the same gender as your own. In other cultures, friendships between a man and woman who are not related are rare. Your witness will be more effective with International friends of your own gender.

DO remember that you are representing a ministry that has been around longer than you’ve been in the country and will still minister there after you have left.

DON’T

DON’T be a loud/obnoxious tourist that needs to be toned down.

DON’T encourage begging by rewarding the effort.

DON’T go out after dark.

DON’T bring anything that you aren’t willing to give up if someone asks for it.

DON’T attempt to tear down the different religions you come in contact with in your conversations with Internationals. Rather, discuss the basic doctrines of your Christian faith, with an emphasis on salvation through Jesus Christ. Many Internationals enjoy discussing their beliefs and how they differ from other religions.

Population: 32,225,000

Capital: Ottawa

Area: 3,855,101 square miles

Language: English, French

Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant

Currency: Canadian dollar

Life Expectancy: 79

Literacy Percent: 97

Canadians use the Canadian dollar. The exchange rate to American dollars (as of July 2017) is around 1 USD to every 1.25 CAD.

The climate in Canada is very similar to that of the United States with four distinct seasons. Of course, winter is much colder with heavy periods of snow.

Toronto is a big center for train railways. Buses, and cars are also very popular and accessible.

In-country transportation is not covered in your base cost. Servant Life will offer to help find the best rental car rates, but it will be your responsibility to book rental cars.

Who Can Go
If registering and traveling with their church group, students must be 14 years old or older to participate in a Servant Life missions experience. If registering as an individual participant without an adult, students must be 16 years old or older. Student groups, college groups, adults, and individuals are all welcome on Servant Life mission trips. Teams may be made up of groups and/or individuals.

Trip Cost
Servant Life trips are priced at a BASE COST PLUS AIRFARE. The base cost varies per country and can be found by clicking on the link for a trip.

Airfare Information
Servant Life will book all airfare through our travel agency. Everyone on your team must travel together. We book group airline tickets and cannot accommodate special requests for different individual flights. Due to commitments to our missionaries to have groups there on set dates, trip dates are not flexible. Once a ticket has been purchased in your name, it must be paid for regardless of circumstances. All tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Activities
Servant Life works with missionary partners in each country. Your team will be helping our missionary partner with various needs, and exact details may vary from trip to trip. Specific details for each missions experience can be found by clicking on the trip's link.

Passports
We encourage anyone interested in a Servant Life missions experience to go ahead and apply for a passport. The amount of time it takes to get a passport varies, and we cannot book plane tickets without a copy of each person’s passport. Any costs associated with obtaining a passport are solely your responsibility. You can download a passport application and read instructions on obtaining a passport online at www.travel.state.gov/passport.

Immunizations
Immunizations and any costs related to them are the sole responsibility of the trip participant. All childhood immunizations must be complete (measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus). We also HIGHLY advise any immunizations recommended by your physician and/or the CDC for the area of travel. Both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are strongly recommended for all international travel. It is solely the traveler’s responsibility to obtain information on required/recommended travel immunizations and travel precautions for the area. The CDC website is www.cdc.gov and has up-to-date info on immunizations for every country.

Once You Register
Shortly after you register, you will receive an email from the Servant Life team with forms your group needs to fill out. These forms, along with a deposit of $150 per person, are due by November 1. If you register after November 1, the forms and a deposit of $150 per person are due within 30 days of registering. A registration is not complete until we have received your deposit. Registrations cannot be held beyond 30 days if the deposit has not been received.

Will my child serve alone or as part of a team?

Your child will be part of a Servant Life team, which can be made up of groups and/or individual participants. If your child is registering alone, he or she will join the team at a domestic or international airport, and stay and work with them for the remainder of the trip.

What kind of supervision will my child have?

Servant Life teams are led by our in-country ministry partners. This partner serves as the host and leader for the team from the time they land in-country at the airport until they depart at the end of the mission experience.

How safe are these trips?

Servant Life makes every effort to keep your child safe during their entire experience with us. We visit every location before sending a group, and work with partners in the country who are familiar with the area we will be staying in and working in. We research and plan the safest places for your student to eat, stay, work and play.

Who will the teams work with?

All teams work with established Servant Life ministry partners. These are either missionaries or ministry leaders who have a history of service in the country and programs that fit with the mission of Servant Life. To read more about our ministry partners, click here.

Who do I call in case of emergency while my child is traveling?

All Servant Life participants will be given a list with emergency contact information and numbers. This list includes the contact information for Servant Life, as well as our ministry partner serving on the field with your child. If an emergency arises where you need to reach your child, please contact Servant Life first, and we will work closely with you to reach your child.

Will my child be able to call home and email while on the field?

Access to phone calls and email may be limited, and varies from location to location. As your child's trip approaches, more information will be given on phone and internet availability for that specific trip. In the event of an emergency, Servant Life will contact parents immediately. So remember that no news is good news!

We have a frequent flyer program. Can we use those miles to cover my child's ticket?

Possibly. We cannot guarantee which airline each team will use, as we are watching for competitive pricing and schedules. Please contact Servant Life if you are interested in learning more about using frequent flyer miles on a mission trip.

When should my child apply for a passport?

Your child should apply for a passport immediately after registering for a Servant Life mission trip. Passports can take up to 8 weeks to arrive. Costs related to obtaining a passport are the responsibility of the participant.

Is a visa required for my child's trip?

The only country that Servant Life is currently sending teams to needing visas is Kenya. Visas can be obtained prior to leaving or when arriving in country. Specifics will be provided to team leaders and/or students traveing on their own.

Will my child receive any training?

Servant Life will send a preparation manual filled with detailed information regarding your child's mission trip. Hands-on training will take place with the ministry partner once the team arrives at their destination.

Why should my child go serve over seas when there are so many needs here in the United States?

The first and primary reason we believe in sending teams on international mission trips is that God has commanded His followers to make disciples of ALL nations (Matt 28:19). Knowing that we are commanded to play an active role in global disciple-making, we have found that missionaries and ministries around the world have needs that short-term mission teams can easily and uniquely fill, thus helping to advance the kingdom of God in those countries. We also hope that participating in an international mission trip will leave such an impression on your child's life that they will become supporters of mission work for the rest of their lives, whether through prayer, financial support, church leadership, or even life service.

What is not covered in my child's trip cost?

The only expenses not covered in your child's trip cost are meals in airports on travel days, any souvenirs or snacks that your child may wish to purchase while in country, and any expenses related to obtaining a passport and immunizations.

Are there scholarships available for my child?

Servant Life does not offer scholarships. If needed, we encourage participants to raise support through fundraising efforts such as church partnership and personal support letters.

Financial Guidelines

Servant Life is committed to providing a quality mission experience at the lowest possible price. Our goal is not to entertain, but rather to bring the teachings of Scripture to life.

Costs not covered in base cost of the trip include:
• Airfare
• Passports
• Immunization Shots
• Snacks
• Souvenirs
• Personal expenses while traveling and in-country, including meals in airports
• Any additional costs associated with the trip before you arrive and after you leave

Financial Guidelines

Deposits:
Deposits of $250 per person and a copy of the front page of your passport are due November 1. If you register after November 1, a deposit of $250 per person and a copy of the front page of your passport are due within 30 days of registration.

Deposits are non-refundable.

Airfare:
Servant Life will secure all airline transportation through our travel agent to insure teams arrive together. Once your group is in place, let us know as soon as possible so we can secure your tickets at the lowest possible rate.

You are responsible for the payment of any purchased tickets. Once a ticket is purchased, payment for that ticket must be in our office within 5 business days.

All tickets must be secured and paid in full 60 days before departure. Payments for airfare must be made via check. We cannot accept credit card payments for airfare purchases.

Summer Missions Payments:
The first payment, which is half of the base cost, is due March 1.

The second payment, which is the balance of the trip cost, is due in the Servant Life office no later than 35 days before departure. If your final balance is not received by 35 days out, a $100 late fee may be applied.

PLEASE NOTE: All checks and money orders must be made out to SERVANT LIFE. Please mail all payments and donations to PO Box 36307, Birmingham, AL 35236.

SERVANT LIFE EXISTS TO SEE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST PROCLAIMED AND LIVED OUT AMONG THE NATIONS.

Since its inception in 1999, Servant Life has been a mission-mobilizing ministry providing dynamic mission experiences for students and church groups. Our aim is to connect students' love for God to the nations through His Word and by His Spirit. Currently Servant Life sends short-term mission teams to fourteen countries including three locations in the United States. Be a part of the Great Commission and let us help connect you to the nations.